Broken Pieces
by Cuinawen
Summary: A not so accidental visit to Bucharest pulls Bella into a whirlwind romance with her soulmate Bella/Bucky (Soulmate/Soulmark first words)


_**Broken Pieces**_

_Soulmate trope ~ The first words your soulmate will say to you are written somewhere on your skin._

I own nothing except the plot

**~*~0~*~**

Just her freaking luck, Bella sighed.

She'd made it all the way to Romania on the advice of Alice – who'd apparently felt guilty enough after the shit-show that Bella's entire so-called '_relationship_' with Edward to tell Bella where she could find her real soulmate – only to get taken out by a random cold one attracted by her scent.

Not for the first time, Bella wondered if the letter left by Alice when the Cullens had left was just a joke, a cruel punchline to top off everything else that had happened. She had always known Edward wasn't her soulmate – he hadn't said her words after all, and nor had she said his – but he'd tried to convince her it didn't matter.

Then he had used his vampire allure to get his own way whenever he wanted, trying to control every little aspect of her life. She had come to realise that Edward was no good for her, but it had still broken her when the events surrounding her eighteenth birthday had happened.

The idea of finding her real soulmate had been the only thing getting her through the rest of her senior year, she'd even argued with Charlie for months about coming, and now she was going to die alone in a grimy alleyway in the middle of Bucharest.

Knowing there was no point even trying to escape; Bella just closed her eyes waiting for the pain to begin… but then somehow it didn't.

Instead, there was a shout, something that she didn't understand with her limited Romanian vocabulary, and she was left to slump to the ground as her assailant focused his attention on the newcomer.

Bella wanted desperately to warn him to get away to run and save himself, but she couldn't form the words as the cold one stalked toward the tall male standing at the entrance to the alley.

Expecting to see his gruesome death, she almost forgot to breathe as the man somehow dodged the attack, swinging his left arm out and striking the cold one with an oddly metallic sound. Though the cold one was faster, the mystery man quickly gained the upper hand and had him in pieces on the ground.

Bella scrambled to her feet staring in astonishment, looking between the man and the pieces scattered at his feet, cringing slightly when an eye looked up at her still blinking.

This man who'd saved her life was heartbreakingly beautiful even with his long hair and stubble, but definitely human so how had he gone up against a cold one and won?

She was still trying to formulate some kind of plausible explanation to give him when he spoke up, eyeing her shrewdly.

"You're not going to try and tell me that thing wasn't going to kill you, are you doll?"

"Well no… apparently, I'm a delicious smelling snack." Bella answered without thinking, and then gaped at him as she fully registered his first words to her.

Words that were written in a slightly messy scrawl curving around her ribs in stark black.

To her surprise, he let out a low amused chuckle, recognising the words that had always been there on the inside of his right bicep. "Well, I guess those words make a lot more sense now."

Taking a moment to clear his head, Bucky studied the woman in front of him. She was short, and all soft curves and long brown hair that he either wanted to bury his face in or wrap around his hand as he tugged her head to one side, his lips pressing to her throat…

Surprised at the turn his thoughts had taken, Bucky shook his head. It didn't matter how beautiful she was, now was not the time to be so completely distracted.

Frowning slightly he glanced down, catching sight of the same blinking eye that Bella had seen. "Don't suppose you know how to get these things to actually stay dead, do you? Come across a couple of them before but I haven't quite managed to figure that part out yet."

Bella smiled weakly at the slightly rueful grin he gave her.

"Fire," She cleared her throat to get rid of the sudden uncomfortably squeaky quality her voice had, "Use fire… you have to set the pieces alight, and they'll turn into ash."

He nodded, quickly pulling the scattered parts into a single pile avoiding touching anywhere that was oozing the clear viscous fluid, and then rummaging in his coat pocket, pulling out a cheap lighter he fortunately had there.

Holding it to the soggy end of an arm, he threw it on the pile and stepped back hurriedly as it quickly caught, the flames spreading and giving off a sickly purple smoke.

"Jesus," He muttered, pocketing the lighter again and turning toward the tiny woman he was apparently soulmated with, "I appreciate I don't even know your name right now doll, but we need to leave before anyone sees this."

To his relief, she didn't object and allowed him to take her elbow as they left the alley. Steering her gently through the streets he led her to the shabby block where his apartment was, almost missing her quiet murmur.

"My name is Bella."

**~*~0~*~**

It was only sometime later, once they were in the relative privacy of his apartment each sitting at his shabby table with a cup of steaming coffee each that Bella finally asked him how was he able to fight like that.

Realising he couldn't avoid the subject he'd been dreading since she'd said his words, he mentally prepared himself for rejection and shifted slowly to face her with his left arm resting on the table top. It wouldn't be fair to lie to her.

"You're American right?" He looked at her carefully, "Do you know who I am?"

At her slightly confused expression he sighed, pulling off his gloves, then standing up to shrug off his hoody and pushing his left shirt sleeve up to reveal the shiny metal underneath.

"Do you know _now_?" His face was carefully blank as he waited for her reaction.

"Oh…" Bella gasped, hesitantly reaching out then dropping her hand uncertainly. "You're Sergeant James Barnes."

"You mean the Winter Soldier." The words were bitter, making Bella flinch slightly at his tone.

"Well yeah, that too I guess." She agreed quietly.

"How are you not running right now?"

Bella shrugged at his incredulous tone, a faint wry grin quirking her lips up. "I'm good with weird."

A laugh erupted from deep in his chest, startling Bucky a little. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually laughed at all. He had some vague memories of laughing with Steve, and maybe some other guys, soldiers maybe.

His head throbbed slightly as he tried to force the memories, and he grimaced faintly. This really wasn't how he'd expected the day to go. He barely remembered what a soulmate was, and hadn't believed he even still had one after everything that had happened.

How was it even possible that he could find his soulmate now, nearly a hundred years after he'd been born?

It would be far safer for her if he sent her on her way and never saw her again. Aside from the danger he could pose to her himself, he was a fugitive. It was no life for a beautiful dame like her even if they had said each other's words.

Everything in him protested that though, and she just looked so sweet and innocent, and just so damn _pretty_ even in the dim light of his shithole apartment, that before he could second guess himself he'd taken three large strides forward and pulled her up out of the chair and into his arms.

She melted into him instantly, her body fitting against his and her head tucking under his chin as if she was made for him, and she actually _was_ he realised. Suddenly everything clicked into place and the soulmate thing made sense to him for the first time since Hydra.

He felt like he'd found a piece of himself that he hadn't even realised was missing.

"It's like home."

If he hadn't had enhanced hearing he probably wouldn't have heard her whispered words, he wasn't sure she'd even meant to say them, but she had and he did, and they filled him with unfamiliar warmth. Up until that point, he'd been trying to convince himself that he had to send her away, but now he didn't think he _could_.

Then they'd finally separated enough to talk properly as she told her story and he'd realised that she was probably in danger with or without him. At least with him, he could try to keep her out of the trouble she seemed to naturally attract.

He supposed that most people would have been more shocked that vampires existed, but with everything that had happened to him, and to Steve, not much really surprised him now. Maybe he was just good with weird too.

**~*~0~*~**

It hadn't taken Bucky long to insist that Bella should stay with him once he knew her full story, especially when he found out about the cheap hotel she'd been living in recently. She'd surprised him by agreeing she would, as long as they got an actual bed instead of a mattress on the floor to sleep on first.

Much to his amusement, she hadn't stopped blushing for hours when she realised she'd just assumed they'd be sharing a bed from the start.

They'd muddled through those first awkward few weeks together somehow, she learned how to help him through his nightmares and flashbacks, and after waking several times from a dead sleep to find her wrapped around him still slumbering he learned to trust that he instinctively wouldn't hurt her.

Of course, the blush that'd appear each time she woke and found herself there was pretty damn endearing too.

He didn't talk very much a lot of the time at first, but as the weeks slowly turned into months she'd started catching him giving her looks of utter adoration that would always make her blush faintly and wonder how she was fortunate enough to have the universe decide he was hers.

She'd voiced that thought aloud one day, and then spent the next few days telling him over and over that it was the truth when he'd started apologising for being the soulmate she was stuck with. Every time it resurfaced when his past was haunting him a little too much she would tell him again, and he'd usually tell her that it was him that was the lucky one.

Any time her deep-seated anxieties would get the better of her and she'd wonder why he'd been stuck with her he'd tell her how she was the one that was too good for him.

Then he'd shown her his emergency bag hidden beneath the floorboards, at the same time adding essential items to it for her – a subtle but unmistakable sign of his complete acceptance of her being in his life.

After Bella had contacted both Renee and Charlie a couple of times, letting them know she was safe and with her soulmate but only ever referring to him as _James_ and never giving any details about where they were or who he really was. Bucky had even endured the _dad talk_ over the phone from Charlie in lieu of meeting him in person.

They both earned money where they could, manual labour for him paid well and thanks to whatever super soldier serum they'd given him it was easy work too. Bella found work in a little shop nearby where they didn't mind her fumbling attempts at the basic Romanian Bucky had managed to teach her so far.

It was all oddly _domestic_, but Bucky found it quite soothing as he slowly worked to pull his fragmented mind back together. The broken pieces beginning to fit back into some sort of order with Bella's help.

Memories gradually surfaced and became less jumbled, and though he would never be the same man was before, he began to remember the person he used to be.

He was sweet and cheeky, Bella found out, and an incorrigible flirt. On his good days, he could charm her into almost anything, and he _knew_ it.

A kiss to her hand and a certain look from his clear blue eyes was all it would take to get her heart thudding in her chest… and sharing a bed didn't help.

The occasional mornings where he'd slept well enough to wake up slowly and grumble sleepily before tugging her closer, his face buried in her hair and his lips against her neck did things to her insides. They were hazardous to both her heart rate, and whatever panties she happened to be wearing.

She wasn't so sure he really knew about that part of the effect he had on her. As much as they'd been thrown together being soulmates in their unusual situation, he'd known she wasn't experienced and hadn't pushed her. Though, if Bella was honest she would have quite enjoyed if he had pushed her at least a little bit.

She had understood that it was for the best at first, both of them had been satisfied with building up slowly to cuddling and affectionate kisses, but now Bella was beginning to wonder a little if there was just something wrong with her. That she just wasn't appealing in that way.

Though Bucky's kisses were worlds away from the chaste passionless ones that Edward had restricted her to, and they'd talked about the possibility of having sex, he seemed to have the same reluctance to take it any further and it was hard not to feel rejected yet again.

She was falling heavily for the former assassin, and though she knew he cared very much for her, she couldn't help worrying that he just didn't feel the same physical attraction she did.

Having her soulmate in her life was a good thing though; even if they never made it past the slightly awkward stage they were at –straddling the line where they were too touchy-feely to be considered strictly platonic, but they weren't quite romantic either.

**~*~0~*~**

Bucky was going out of his mind.

He'd tried not to push Bella, but sharing a bed, waking with her in his arms, it was getting to him. They both needed some time to bond together as people and not just because they were fated to be, but now all he could think about was making her scream.

It was odd really, it had taken some time to get used to hearing his own name again, yet now he wanted nothing more than Bella screaming it, moaning it, or even sighing it.

It had been an interesting discovery to find that she quite often spoke in her sleep. The first time it had happened he had been out of the bed and on the other side of the room, gun in hand, before he'd even realised what it was he'd heard. Then she'd sighed and mumbled something unintelligible and he'd slowly relaxed, laughing humourlessly at his reaction.

She evidently dreamed about him a lot. It had been nice at first, the dreamy sighs of his name, but then as time had gone on the dreams had apparently changed in tone and some nights he'd come very, _very_, close to waking her up and asking exactly what he'd been doing in her dream to make her moan his name like that.

She'd taken to stealing his shirts to wear for bed, with nothing but her panties underneath – he ran a bit hotter than the average person and she'd get too hot being wrapped around him to wear anything more than that. He'd woken up a few times with his hand up under the shirt, usually somewhere on her hip or her ass, sometimes creeping higher.

Then late one evening it had gotten too much for them both.

They had been lounging on the bed listening to music and chatting when Bella had dozed off, and Bucky had been so warm and comfortable with her wrapped around him in her usual shirt and panties that he'd drifted a little too.

He'd woken up a short time later with her back against his chest, and her ass wiggling back against his erection as she murmured his name in her sleep. Somehow his right hand had made its way up under her shirt and was cupping one of her breasts, while his left arm was looped under her and around her waist, holding her in place.

Barely awake himself, he'd sleepily started kissing the back of her neck before he'd completely realised what he was doing.

"Mmm," He mumbled, sucking on a tender spot below her ear, his fingers stroking lightly over her as she sucked in a sharp breath and whimpered, now awake and completely in the moment.

"Oh… shit," He muttered apologetically, awareness kicking in of what he was doing, and the fact that she'd woken up with him copping a feel, "Sorry doll, didn't mean to push you."

"No… please don't stop." Bella gave him a shy beseeching smile as he pushed himself up and leaned over her shoulder to get a look at her face.

"You mean you want me to keep feeling you up?" He smirked down at her, feeling a little amused at the fact his hand was in fact still lightly tracing over her chest as they talked.

Bella giggled. "Yeah Sergeant, I do."

"Your wish is my command, ma'am."

He was back to being serious now, and the look he was giving her was pure desire, making her shiver as she realised just how much he'd been holding back before.

His lips trailed down her neck, setting her body on fire as he groaned softly against her skin, his hips grinding against her ass, finally giving in to everything he'd wanted to do to her. In a movement she couldn't quite follow, she was suddenly on her back, her knees naturally falling outside his thighs as he settled between her legs.

He kept up the slow grinding movement, and she arched up against him with a quiet whimper, her borrowed shirt riding up. She shivered as he ran his hand down over her hip, toying with the edge of her underwear while his left arm held most of his weight off her. The feel of him hard between her thighs through her panties and his old sweats was just enough to tease her.

"You still with me, doll?" He murmured, taking in her flushed face and dazed expression.

"Mmm, don't you dare stop," Bella replied making him chuckle softly.

Smirking slightly at her frown as he moved off her, Bucky settled on his side facing her, chasing her disappointed expression away when his fingers started lightly tracing back and forth at the top edge of her panties, making her squirm.

His lips met hers then, kissing her softly at first then slowly and deeply, swallowing her whimpers as his hand slid lower to rub her through her underwear, smiling a little against her lips when he felt the already damp cotton. If he'd ever had any doubts that she wanted him, they were gone now.

He moved again, this time rolling to his back and pulling over Bella with him, then sitting up as she straddled his thickly muscled thighs.

"Damn, doll," He breathed, pulling the shirt over her head as she rocked against him and whimpered, "Thought you were beautiful the moment I met you, but seeing you like this, you're the prettiest damn thing I ever saw,"

Bella was too caught up in the moment to feel any shyness as he openly stared at her, his lips parted and his breaths heavy. Instead, she tugged insistently at his shirt.

He'd gotten comfortable enough to go sleeveless and have his arm on show around her like he was now, but she hadn't seen him without a shirt on yet. He'd been too conscious of the scarring that littered his body, especially around the metal grafted to his shoulder.

He eyed her cautiously now but didn't say anything as she slowly pulled the shirt upwards and over his head, dropping it somewhere to the side, her eyes trailing over him. He had a few scars that she could see, the worst of which was the ring of scarring where the metal base for his arm had been fused into his skin.

He'd tensed and was giving her a wary look like he was worried she'd bolt now she'd seen him, and if it didn't hurt so much to see that expression on his face she'd have laughed at the ridiculousness of it. He was stunning, no matter what had been done to him.

Without a second thought, she leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to where the metal met skin, showing without words as best she could that she accepted every bit of him. She felt him sag slightly as he let out a shaky breath, and then his flesh hand was in her hair, tugging her up so that he could kiss her thoroughly, his metal hand gripping her hip and grinding her against him.

**~*~0~*~**

Bucky was still going out of his mind.

The little mewling noises Bella was making were killing him, as his mouth trailed slow soft kisses downwards, his metal hand pressed lightly between her shoulder blades arching her toward his mouth.

The thumb of his right hand rubbed firmly over her, somehow finding the sweetest spot between her thighs even through her soaked underwear.

"Oh god… _Bucky_," Bella whimpered, not quite sure what she was begging for.

"You're fucking beautiful like this, doll," He told her, lifting his head to meet her hazy eyes right as his hand finally dipped underneath her panties to touch bare skin.

Her loud moan and the wetness pooling beneath his fingers was almost enough to have his own eyes rolling back in his head, and months of coiled tension inside him finally snapped completely.

Bella had no idea how she'd suddenly ended up on her back, with Bucky leaving a line of kisses between her hipbones and sending her a lust filled smirk.

He moved lower, pressing wet dirty kisses to each thigh, his tongue swirling over her skin. Then he was where she wanted him most, licking a long stripe upwards as she gasped and burrowed a hand into his hair, the other fisting into the sheets above her head and hanging on for dear life.

"Mmmm. Just as sweet as I thought."

Then he dove in, licking, sucking, and eating at her as if his life depended on it. His hands gripped her hips, lifting her to meet his mouth and holding her there while he fucked her with his tongue, dipping and flicking it, his nose bumping her clit. His low rumbling moans vibrating against her as he moved up and sucked on her little bud coaxed her into one release after the other, flooding his face while she gripped his hair and wailed in ecstasy.

Her legs shook, and he kept going, shifting his hand around so that he could ease first one and then two fingers into her warmth, groaning at the feel of her clenching around him as she quickly teetered close to the edge again.

He knew that the first time for her would be at least a little painful, but he was determined to get her as relaxed and euphoric as he could first.

Finally, she was a quivering wreck in his hands and he lowered her to the bed and stood up, his expression soft while he watched her looking up at him. She eyed where his sweats were hanging dangerously low on his hips and swallowed, surprised to feel after the times he'd brought her over the edge yet another shot of lust run through her.

Bella licked her lips unconsciously at the sight of him springing free from the soft fabric he was easing down over his hips and letting drop to the ground before he kicked it away carelessly.

Acting on impulse, she scrambled unsteadily to her knees and rested a hand on one of his hips, thumb brushing over the defined V shape that led downwards.

Bucky sucked in a ragged breath at the first touch of her tongue, and then let out a strangled noise when she hesitantly licked him. His flesh hand fisted into her hair, though he let her set her own pace as she grew bolder, licking and sucking him, her free hand wrapping around what she couldn't quite fit in her mouth.

Her tongue swirled hotly before she took him deeper, and the high pitched moan that escaped Bucky might have embarrassed him if he'd been aware of it. The sound made Bella clench her thighs together; needing something she couldn't quite name. She did know she needed him to make that sound again though.

Another of those strangled moans, and then Bucky was gently tugging her hair, pulling her off him.

"So good… _fuck_… I'm close, want to be inside you."

He sounded so utterly _wrecked_ it made Bella shiver with need.

"Please," She told him softly, "I need you, Bucky."

Bucky came back to himself as he laid her back on the bed, coming to rest between her legs, his hardness brushing against all the right places.

"You're sure babydoll? This is going to hurt a bit."

Bella met his gaze, and along with an emotion he wasn't quite ready to name yet he could see the lust swirling in her eyes, matching what he was feeling.

"I'm sure," She answered, her voice steady despite the aching tension, "I need you."

Still looking deeply into her chocolate brown eyes, Bucky lined himself up and slowly sank into her, giving her time to adjust to the sensation of him filling her.

He was glad they'd discussed the issue of pregnancy previously; in an awkward conversation where she'd told him it wasn't an issue thanks to some implant thing that he didn't quite understand… because the feel of her tight warmth surrounding him with no barriers was beyond anything he'd ever imagined.

Shaking with the effort, he held still waiting for Bella to give a sign that she was ready for him to move. Gently he traced a thumb under her eye, brushing away the single tear that had collected there.

"I'm sorry, baby," He murmured softly.

Bella just smiled and shook her head. The brief spike of pain was already fading and she arched her hips experimentally, her body moulding to his as he slipped even further inside her causing them both to moan.

"Oh god," Bella whimpered as Bucky moaned brokenly, the feel of it so good that without realising he fell back on his Winter Soldier days and slipped into broken Russian.

"_Chert ... tak khorosho ... moy ... ty moy_."

His hand slid under her ass, raising her to meet his slow deliberate thrusts, and she whimpered at both the feel of him and the harsh Russian coming from him. Needing more, she hooked a leg up around his hip.

Taking the hint, Bucky picked up a harder, faster rhythm, rocking his hips into her as she writhed underneath him.

"_Tak blizko_… so close, come with me baby."

Still propping himself up with his metal arm, his other hand slid from beneath her ass and burrowed between them, rubbing firm circles around her clit, making Bella shake with the intensity of it.

"That's it, come for me now _dorogaya_."

His smooth voice giving her orders was her undoing, and she shuddered into an orgasm so intense that her vision turned white around the edges as she cried out, Bucky's name and pleas to god on her lips.

Feeling her tighten around him was too much for Bucky and he followed her into his own release with a long low moan of her name, pulling her tightly against him and fucking her through both their orgasms until they were completely wrecked.

Collapsing in a heap, Bucky barely managed to keep his weight off Bella. Breathing heavily, he laid there for a moment, his hand running soothingly up and down Bella's side.

"Do you think you can get up baby?"

Bella smiled at him, her cheeks still flushed. "I'm not sure I can walk… and take that proud look off your face."

She giggled as he preened at her words, looking happy with himself.

He did get up though, gently helping her up from the bed and staying nearby as she made her way to the bathroom, wobbling unsteadily on shaky legs.

His eyes drifted to her round ass and he groaned under his breath. This woman would be the death of him.

Cleaning up himself once Bella was done, he slid into the bed beside her, immediately pulling her close, her head resting on the pillow right beside him.

It was nice to find that she hadn't bothered with any clothes. Maybe he'd take advantage of that in the morning if she wasn't too sore.

With one last soft slow kiss, he closed his eyes, drifting off and feeling more at peace with Bella in his arms than he could ever remember being.

**~*~0~*~**

Their relationship had changed after that. They both still worked, but their nights were now filled with a new closeness, taking pleasure in each other's bodies and enjoying the intimacy that brought.

Unfortunately, it had only been a matter of time until Bucky's past resurfaced and things came crashing down around them.

The news station playing on the ancient radio in the shop where Bella worked was the first indication she had that anything was wrong. Usually, she barely noticed the quiet drone of sound in the background, but today she'd clearly heard Bucky's name, as well as them mentioning the Winter Soldier among a string of rapid Romanian that she only half understood at best.

Feeling the blood drain from her face, she didn't need to feign illness for her kindly boss to dismiss her for the day.

Then she'd caught sight of a newspaper outside.

The world tilted crazily around her for a moment as sheer panic set in. There was no way Bucky could have done what they were accusing him of, he'd been with her almost the whole time, but they would undoubtedly be coming for him anyway.

_Don't look like you're trying to run, walk calmly_. A calm voice that sounded oddly like Bucky's sounded in the back of her mind. She couldn't help hurrying a little though.

Relief filled her as she caught sight of him just ahead of her, near the small market he always stopped in on his way back from the docks. Then she got closer and saw the look on his face and her panic shifted into a cold ball of dread that lodged heavily somewhere in her chest.

"Bella, I…" He floundered for words as she approached; his eyes giving away just how lost he felt.

"Shh, I know," She murmured, "Even if I weren't with you almost the whole time I'd know it wasn't you. What do we need to do?"

Overcome with gratitude for the tiny woman in front of him, Bucky tugged her into a quick slightly rough hug and kissed her forehead. Taking her hand, he didn't let go as they walked swiftly back to their tiny apartment to retrieve the emergency bag he'd put together.

It was already too late though, and Bella felt her heart sink to her stomach as she saw the tall figure standing in their kitchen. Though he was facing away, the distinctive red white and blue uniform made it very clear who was there waiting for them.

He said something into a com and then turned to speak to Bucky, giving their joined hands a slightly confused look as he asked if Bucky knew who he was.

Bella could feel the tension coming from Bucky, his grip on her hand tightening fractionally when he answered.

"You're Steve, I read about you in a museum."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Bucky being difficult instead of just admitting he remembered his friend, Bella still gave his hand a light squeeze in return trying to support him. Steve wasn't buying it anyway.

It was her turn to tighten her grip as Steve confirmed the authorities were coming for Bucky and they weren't planning on taking him alive. The ball of dread expanded in her chest, filling her with an icy sharp horror at the thought of her soulmate being taken from her. None of this was his fault and she wanted to rage at the unfairness of it all.

He was a good man that had been brainwashed, used, and almost completely ruined by Hydra, and now they wanted to punish him for actions he'd had no control over.

"It always ends in a fight."

Bucky had sounded so sad and defeated as he removed the glove covering his metal hand and told Steve he didn't know why he'd pulled him from the river that it hurt Bella's heart.

She didn't have time to say anything to him though, instead, she squeaked in surprise as a projectile smashed through the window, quickly followed by another one.

Steve batted the first one away with his shield, then used it to cover the second one as it exploded when Bucky was quick enough to kick it towards him.

The sight of Bella's terrified face when he tucked her behind the mattress he'd thrown off their bed towards the wall filled Bucky with a cold rage, and even as he was punching through the floor to retrieve their bag and telling Steve he wasn't going to kill anybody he mentally added a postscript that if Bella got hurt all bets were off.

He was oddly proud of her once he'd pulled her from the hiding place and into the stairwell though. He'd only been able to give her some basic self-defence training before this, but somehow she knew exactly what to do and where to position herself as Bucky fought their way down the stairs with Steve's help.

She hadn't made a sound as he pulled her onto his back and jumped, using the metal railing as it tore away to swing downwards. Then Steve had used his shield to stop someone shooting at them and Bucky had made another jump freefalling several stories and coming to a dead stop when he caught hold of the railing with his metal arm.

She'd whimpered slightly then, hating his pained shout as well as the way the barrier crumpled slightly under their combined weight.

She still clung to him tightly though, until he'd leapt to the neighbouring building with her, taking the brunt of their landing so that she wasn't injured. He'd taken her hand again and scooped up the bag with the other as they ran across the rooftop, only to be ripped from her grasp when a body hit him from behind.

The man – at least Bella guessed it was a man judging by their size and shape – in the full black body suit barely spared her a glance before circling Bucky intently, then the helicopter started shooting at them and Bella's fight or flight response jolted up another distressing notch.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and her vision was going fuzzy around the edges as Bucky fastened the rucksack onto her back and threw her onto his own in a single fluid movement. All she could do was hold on while he did his best to get them out of there safely.

Steve appeared to be helping, along with a guy who had flown in on his metal wings – _Falcon? How many more of these guys are going to turn up_? But the majority of the chase through the tunnel passed by in a terrified haze for Bella until the mysterious black figure leapt at the back of the bike they'd ended up on at some point – she wasn't sure exactly when that'd happened – and took out the wheel sending them all tumbling across the rough tarmac.

Then, as suddenly as it all started, it had been over.

Bucky had been forced his knees while they were all arrested, and he didn't fight it though Bella could see the fury flicker briefly in his eyes when she'd winced at the gravel burn she'd ended up with down her arm and leg on one side.

**~*~0~*~**

She hadn't been surprised to be separated from Bucky. Though the small but genuine sad smile she got from Steve when she was bundled into the car next to him did surprise her a little.

Neither of them said anything, conscious of the agents surrounding them, but she guessed that Bucky had managed to find a moment to tell Steve something about who she was. Then the Falcon – who she later found out was called Sam Wilson – asked King T'Challa of Wakanda who was still in his black costume if he liked cats, and she'd barely repressed an amused snort.

She did her best to ignore the confused and occasionally hostile glances she got at the Joint Counter-Terrorist Centre where they were being held, her heart breaking at the sight of Bucky in the distance, strapped in place like an animal inside a mobile containment cell.

She stuck close to Steve and by default Sam, following them into an office area and slumping exhaustedly into a chair. She had a bad feeling that she shouldn't completely relax but she was far too tired now to be able to keep her guard up fully.

"It's Bella, right?"

Steve Rogers was speaking to her then, still with that genuine smile, though his eyes darted warningly at the security camera in the upper corner of the room. Bella gave the barest of nods before taking his outstretched hand. They were undoubtedly being watched closely.

They would probably find it ridiculously easy to figure out who she is but she wasn't going to make it even easier for them by offering up her last name to anyone. The fact that they'd planned to shoot her soulmate hadn't endeared any of these people to her, and right now they only had her with being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you Ste… um… Captain Rogers." Bella could have kicked herself for the slip-up, already too used to calling him Steve in her head, despite the fact that she had barely even met him properly.

His answering grin was gentle if a little indulgent. "Given the circumstances, just _Steve_ is fine."

Bella blushed and gave him a sheepish look, apparently even while being cautious she could still embarrass herself.

When Sam introduced himself she just gave a little wave, feeling unsure about speaking in front of the woman who'd just entered the room and given Sam and Steve receipts for their gear that had been confiscated.

She'd given Bella a quizzical look but hadn't said anything to her. Instead, she'd hit a few buttons on the keypad on the desk and suddenly they had the audio for the room that Bucky was being interviewed in. She'd clearly done it for Steve's benefit, not hers, but Bella couldn't help feeling a little grateful to be able to hear what was happening, even if all he'd said was that his name was Bucky in that defeated tone.

Steve was talking to the agent, trying to point out that something wasn't right, that maybe they'd been set up to find Bucky the way they had. Then the lights had cut out, along with all the audio and visual surveillance, and all hell had broken loose.

Bella found herself being evacuated with most of the building in the chaos that followed.

Sam had grabbed her right as there was a horrible sound of screeching metal from overhead somewhere, and taking advantage of the distraction he led her away.

**~*~0~*~**

"Steve… the girl, please… make sure she's okay. Help her, _please_, she's my soulmate."

Those words had rung in Steve's head long after they'd been whispered in a harsh plea from Bucky while he was being forced to his knees, somehow remembering that his _friend_ was enhanced and would easily hear him.

He knew that Bucky had only asked him in lieu of having anyone else at all to help, but there was no way he could ignore a request so important from his best friend, whether or not that friend really had any memories of him or not.

Those words had still been echoing in his mind when the power had gone out and things had gone even more to shit.

Somehow he'd stopped the helicopter, and knocked Bucky out before getting him to safety though not before almost getting skewered by a rotor blade. Then he'd trapped his friend's metal arm in a vice, just in case.

Sam had managed to get to Bella and get her out of there pretty easily, so now it was just a waiting game to see who Bucky would wake up as.

"He was starting to remember you," Bella said suddenly, her voice soft, "You were one of the good things he remembered."

It went unsaid that there were a lot of bad things Bucky remembered, and Steve had to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat.

"Thank you," He murmured, moving forward to take her hand and squeeze it momentarily, "How did you two meet?"

"He uh, saved my life." Bella laughed a little self-consciously, "I needed help and he just kinda appeared."

Steve chuckled. "He always did have a _saving people_ thing. That's how I met him too."

Then the chuckle deepened into a full laugh. "Were your first words really telling him you were a _tasty snack_?"

Bella blushed as she laughed. It made sense that Steve might know what Bucky's words were. "Um… well, it was '_delicious snack'_, and context is kind of important there."

"I'm sure it is," Steve agreed with an almost boyish grin.

Sam shouted for Steve then before he had a chance to say anything else, and Bella hung back uncertainly as he went to speak to Bucky who was waking up.

She waited silently as they confirmed that he was back to being himself and he asked what he'd done, Then the sound of her name jolted her, starting up a fierce tugging in her chest.

"My girl, _Bella_, is she okay? Where is she?" He sounded almost panicked and Bella hated hearing him like that.

"I'm here," her voice was barely above a whisper but she knew he'd heard her as she slowly approached.

"Get me out of this thing!" Bucky strained frantically against the vice still pinning him in place by his metal arm, "Jesus, Steve!"

Once free he was at her side in less than a second, carefully pulling her into his arms and checking her over for injuries while she clung to him.

"Oh doll, I'm sorry, I'm so, so _sorry_ you got stuck with me and dragged into all this."

Even Sam swallowed uncomfortably at the absolute misery in his words.

"Hey," Bella touched her hand to his cheek getting him to look at her, "What have I told you?"

Steve was amazed to see Bucky visibly calm down, his tense frame softening the longer he looked at the tiny brunette.

"That you'd be dead if you hadn't been stuck with me." The words sounded long practised, as did the sigh Bella let out.

"For the last time, I wasn't stuck with you, you idiot. I got lucky enough to be given you, one day you might remember that."

"I still say I'm the lucky one, doll."

He kissed her forehead looked back at Steve, his expression swimming in regret.

"God, I knew this would happen. Everything Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words."

"Who was he?" Steve asked quietly, then getting firmer when Bucky said he didn't know. "People are dead, the bombing, the set up… the doctor did all that to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than _I don't know_."

Bucky looked down at Bella for a moment, appreciating the calm from having his soulmate touching him. Then the pieces all clicked and he looked back at Steve with a worried frown.

"He wanted to know about Siberia, where they kept me – where they kept _us_. I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

**~*~0~*~**

Bella let out a slight snicker a short while later in the car as Sam refused to move his seat forward, though she did move over to give Bucky more room when he shot her a look somewhere between amused and indignant.

The three of them watched as Steve spoke to the female agent from before, collecting his shield and the falcon wings before planting a kiss on her.

"Hot damn," Bella murmured, and then snorted softly at the approving nods Sam and Bucky were both giving Steve, who just looked back at them exasperated.

They pulled up next to a white van in an empty level of a car park just outside the airport a short time later and got out of the rusted blue Mini. Sam stood next to Steve while Bucky stayed on the other side of the car from the others with Bella next to him, waiting quietly while Steve greeted Clint Barton and Wanda Maximov.

Clint slid open the side door of the van after a moment and banged on it to rouse the man inside who was introduced as Scott Lang when he got up.

Bella watched with Bucky while Steve fumbled through a slightly awkward and overeager introduction to him, hearing Bucky's quiet huffs of amusement each time Steve glanced back at them giving Bucky a look that fell somewhere between _who the hell is this guy_ and _please help me_.

Both Wanda and Clint eyed her with curiosity, and Bella felt just a little intimidated having Hawkeye standing with his arms folded, eyeing both her and Bucky carefully.

"Not to be rude," His voice was quiet but authoritative as he suddenly spoke up, "But who's the girl?"

He gave Bella a slightly apologetic grin that suddenly made him look very boyish and likeable.

"She's, um…" Steve faltered slightly, not wanting to lie to someone he considered a friend but feeling like it wasn't really his information to share.

"She's Bella, my soulmate," Bucky cut him off and moved to stand pressed against Bella's back.

There was no point lying to these people he thought, watching them a little warily as he rested his chin on her head, his posture looking deceptively relaxed. Steve knew them well, or at least all but one of them, and Steve wouldn't be friends with the kind of people that might be likely to hold the fact that she was his against her.

"Oh… well, that makes sense then." Clint looked a little bemused. "Well Bella, I'm Clint."

He gave her another of those boyish grins, which she couldn't help returning even as Bucky snorted and Sam commented dryly, "I'm fairly sure she knows who you are man."

"We'd better get going," Bucky spoke up suddenly, then frowned as Clint mentioning they had a chopper lined up was quickly followed by a loud PA announcement from nearby.

"They're evacuating the airport."

Steve sighed. "Stark?"

"Stark." Bucky agreed, moving from behind Bella, his hands brushing slowly down her arms.

They didn't have much time, and they all needed to gear up.

They split into groups as they entered the airport a short while later, Bella staying with Bucky and Sam in the terminal building as they waited for Steve to be confronted by Tony Stark while Sam used his Redwing drone to scan the airport for the Quinjet.

"Stay close to me," Bucky told Bella quietly.

"Oh, if only," Bella muttered under her breath, trying not to look him up and down lecherously.

Now wasn't really the time to be checking him out, but she couldn't help it. The black tactical gear with his arm on show made him look mouth-watering as far as she was concerned.

She wasn't doing very well at hiding it apparently, judging by the vaguely disgusted snort that came from Sam and the amused smirk Bucky gave her.

Sam found the Quinjet eventually in hangar five, and called it through to Steve and the others on the com before they turned to hurry through the building in the direction of the hangar where it was located.

At the same time all hell broke loose.

While Clint and Wanda faced off with Tony Stark, and Steve fought off T'Challa in his Black Panther gear, Bella ran with Bucky and Sam, until they heard a noise on the large windows and looked over.

"What the hell is that?" Bucky questioned at the sight of someone in red and blue gear scrambling along the window parallel to the direction they were going in.

"Everyone's got a gimmick now," Sam grunted as he ran.

One of the huge windows smashed and the guy swung in, kicking Sam before going for Bucky who pushed Bella out of harm's way and took a swing which was promptly blocked.

Bella stared in astonishment at the guy who seemed barely more than a kid by the way he spoke, even though he could clearly hold his own in a fight. Bucky tried more than once to get her to safety, but he had to shield her again when he tossed a signboard at the guy only for him to throw it right back at them.

Then Sam had ended up stuck to a glass barrier, only for Bucky end up getting kicked into him, making them both fall down one level and hit the ground. Bella had gasped worriedly but didn't move, knowing Bucky wouldn't want her drawing any attention to herself.

She leaned carefully over the open edge a moment later after Sam had used Redwing to drag their opponent out of there, just in time to hear Sam dryly tell Bucky he hated him as they laid there stuck to the floor. A quiet snort escaped her, and then she smiled at Bucky when he looked up at her in clear relief to see that she was unhurt.

A few minutes later when both men were free again they exited the terminal, meeting up outside with Steve, Clint, Wanda, and Scott to make a run for the hangar. What looked like a laser hitting the ground in front of them stopped them in their tracks though.

Bucky stood protectively in front of Bella as the two groups faced off, murmuring quietly so that only she and Steve could hear him.

"Stay back, doll. When the fighting starts, head towards the hangar and we'll meet you there."

Part of Bella wanted to protest, but even against normal people in a fight she'd probably be a liability, let alone in a fight involving heroes, so she just gave a tiny nod and laid her hand on his shoulder briefly, and when the two groups started running toward each other she hung back and took a long way round toward hangar five.

The battles raged all around and she moved slowly around the edges, trying to avoid being seen. She'd stayed quiet when they talked over the coms deciding that not all of them were going to make it to the jet and get away, then nearly choked when Ant Man had turned into Giant Man.

She wasn't sure if she should be staying behind too, but she didn't think Bucky would allow it, even if she would only be a distraction if it was just the three of them. The decision was taken away from her though when just as she was almost there her way was blocked by a falling tower. Steve and Bucky made it through but she didn't, and she didn't think they'd seen her.

The Quinjet took off, James Rhodes had ended up falling from the sky after an accidental shot by Vision damaged his War Machine suit, and Bella found herself left behind at the airport with Sam, Clint, Wanda and Scott.

**~*~0~*~**

Bella wasn't sure what she'd expected to happen to her, but she'd never imagined this.

It had been easy for them to run facial recognition after last time. So of course, they'd known exactly who she was this go around, and thanks to them tracking her father down and speaking to him they knew she was with her soulmate called James. Putting two and two together was a natural step from that.

When they'd tried to talk to her she'd refused to answer any questions about Bucky or Steve or any of the recent events besides telling them that Bucky wasn't responsible for the bombing that had started it all off.

Frustrated with her lack of what they considered cooperation they'd decided to treat her as if she had broken the accords too, and locked her up in her own cell in the same hidden high-security underwater prison as Clint, Sam, Wanda and Scott, no matter how much the others tried to protest that she was a non-combatant.

"You ok kid?" Clint called out to her as soon as they were all left alone in the large secure room containing their individual cells.

"I'm fine Clint, thanks." She didn't sound convincing even to her own ears, but there was no point voicing just how miserable and terrified she was, as well as how worried she was about Bucky.

She wondered if they had made it to Siberia yet. Though they'd all been processed and imprisoned really quickly, it was hard to tell exactly how much time had gone by. Taking a seat on the hard bench that served as a bed and drawing her knees up to her chest she shivered.

That was how Tony Stark found her sometime later. She heard Clint giving him a hard time, but she'd been surprised when he stopped outside her cell and looked at her sadly.

"They told me who you are," He started uneasily, "You're a civilian; they shouldn't have put you in here. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you got mixed up in this."

Bella looked up at him, her expression hollow. "I'm not. The time I had with my soulmate was worth every bit of this."

Tony gave her a long look, then nodded before continuing past her cell, understanding a little of where she was coming from. He came to a stop near Sam and spoke to him about Rhodes before he fiddled with what appeared to be a watch that enabled him to shut down the audio feed coming from the room.

Bella listened as he told Sam that the doctor who triggered Bucky was a fake. _As if that wasn't obvious_. He asked where Bucky and Steve were going and Sam eventually agreed to tell him as long as he went alone and as a friend.

Tony stopped by Bella's cell again on his way out and sighed. "I'll try and get them to release you, or at least get you somewhere that isn't quite so high security."

Bella could feel her eyes burning with tears and knew if she tried to speak she'd start crying, so she didn't answer him. Instead, she just shrugged slightly, keeping her gaze on him until he moved out of sight and the sound of the metal door sliding shut echoed through the room.

"You'll get out of here kid, they can't hold you if you weren't involved in the fight."

That was Scott calling out that time, and Bella tried to hold in a sniffle. She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes, trying to pretend she was anywhere else but behind thick metal bars. She could hear Clint quietly telling her not to worry, that someone would find a way to get her out, and that was when her silent tears finally spilled over.

She was unaware of Tony trying to argue on her behalf with the Secretary of State, who'd questioned him on his way out.

"Stark? Did he give you anything on Rogers?"

"Nope. Told me to go to hell. I'm going back to the compound instead, but you can call me anytime. I'll put you on hold; I like to watch the line blink… and for god's sake let the girl go. She didn't have anything to do with it."

"She was there willingly," Ross argued belligerently, "And do you know what she is to him. That's leverage."

"You're really going to hold an innocent girl just because of who she happens to be soulmates with?"

Tony sighed and shook his head when all the Secretary did was fold his arms and glare at him. There was no point trying to get through to the man, and for the first time, Tony wondered if he'd done the right thing. The Accords weren't supposed to lead to things like this happening.

Making his way back to the helicopter he took off then exited as Iron Man and flew in a different direction not realising he was being shadowed by a small Wakandan jet. He just wanted to get to the Capsicle in time to help with this super-soldier situation, and to let him know that the girl had been wrongfully imprisoned with the others.

**~*~0~*~**

They'd only been in the prison a couple of days but Bella was already finding it hard to guess what time of day it was. They'd been given food fairly regularly, not that she'd had managed to eat much of it, but without any daylight, it was tough to keep track of time at all.

She'd had managed to doze fitfully here and there, but she was plagued with nightmares. Not knowing what had happened to Bucky was taking its toll on her and she could only hope he was okay.

Most of the time she just stared blankly into space, trying to let her mind drift off to better places. She'd heard Wanda crying softly across the way a couple of times, she'd been fitted with something to block her powers apparently, and Bella had tried her best to offer some small comfort between the periods of being lost in her own mind.

Then there was something extra, a series of sounds that didn't belong echoing across the room they were all being held in.

The metal door slid open and there silhouetted in the doorway was a familiar figure.

A big grin crossed Sam's face as Clint sighed in relief and Bella wanted to cry. Steve was safe, which hopefully meant that Bucky was too.

She stood slowly from the narrow bench, her legs stiff from sitting with her knees pulled up under her chin so much, and smiled shakily at Steve as he opened the door to her cell. Her smile dropped when he realised he was alone though.

"It's okay, he's just waiting in the jet," Steve reassured her quietly, "He got hurt, but he'll be alright."

Bella nodded, caught between relief and worry about just how much he'd been hurt. She took the comforting hand that Wanda held out to her, squeezing her fingers gratefully. She could see the relief on her new friends face at being freed from both the cell and whatever they'd blocked her powers with.

They made their way out of the facility, Sam and Clint both snorting at the trail of unconscious bodies Steve had left littering each area they passed through.

Then they were on the jet and Bella couldn't stop the tears at the sight of Bucky waiting for her, with an uncertain smile on his face. It only took a split second for her to throw herself at him and his smile widened as he held onto her tightly with his one arm.

She pulled back after a moment and looked at him, realising that he only had a single arm around her because the metal one now ended abruptly just below his shoulder where it looked like it had been melted.

"Stark," Bucky murmured tiredly, "There was a fight."

Bella eyed him tearfully and he sighed. "It doesn't hurt that much now, doll. What about you, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Bella shook her head, laughing a little incredulously through her tears. "Jesus, I'm fine. Why are you even worrying about me when that's happened?"

Bucky shrugged, giving her a crooked smile. "I'll always worry about you."

She nearly lost it then, her hands fisting in his jacket, her face pressed against his chest as a more few tears escaped while he ran his hand up and down her back and buried his face in her hair.

"I love you," She murmured into his chest.

Bucky stiffened slightly in surprise. It felt as though he'd been in love with her pretty much since they'd met, but neither of them had ever actually said those particular words before n. He hadn't expected to hear them now, while he was dealing with the fallout from the fight with Stark.

He didn't know if Bella was aware that she was one of the only things keeping him going; a huge reason why he hadn't just let Stark kill him for his sins. Now he let her words wash over him, basking in the warmth they filled him with because he couldn't be that bad if someone like her could love him.

Pulling back, he looked down and met her eyes, a soft grin on his face. "I love you too."

Their lips met once, then again with more force, both of them putting everything they felt into it. Everyone including Sam had stayed quiet and given them their moment without giving Bucky a hard time, but Bella had still blushed slightly once she'd pulled back and remembered that they had an audience.

**~*~0~*~**

Wakanda was like nothing Bella had ever seen before or ever imagined. The city was beautiful, and the technology still blew her mind.

King T'Challa had been kind enough to offer to help Bucky after he'd mistakenly tried to take revenge on him, and had extended the invitation for Bella to stay for as long as she liked too as soon as he'd found out who she was.

After a few weeks delay where T'Challa was dealing with leadership issues and apparently nearly dying, they had arrived in mid-July, and Bucky had quickly decided that being frozen while they fixed him was the best and safest option.

Bella had been surprised and hurt at first when Bucky had revealed his plan to be frozen again, but as much as she didn't like it, she'd understood his reasoning. He didn't trust his own mind and didn't want to hurt her or anyone else if he was ever triggered again.

She'd been there watching with Steve when it happened, giving him a kiss and promising she'd wait for him despite his protests that he might never be fixed and that she could find someone better.

"I love you," She'd told him firmly, "All I want is you… all I'll _ever_ want is you."

"I love you, doll. Whatever happens, remember that."

He'd given her one last kiss and stepped into the cryo tube, his blood running cold at the thought of being frozen again even if it was for the best, and looked over at Steve.

"Take care of her for me punk."

Steve had smirked wryly. "You'll come back to us and take care of her yourself, jerk."

Silent tears had streamed down her face while she'd watched him close his eyes, the tube sealing shut and doing its job. She'd broken down then, near silent sobs shaking her frame as Steve had done his best to comfort her.

That had been three months ago.

Three long months of waiting for Shuri, King T'Challa's sister, to confirm that she'd found a way to safely remove the trigger conditioning from Bucky's head.

Steve had stayed in touch regularly, calling and messaging whenever he could using their encrypted phones, and had visited once but hadn't stayed. Having him and the others there for very long might have drawn attention to the fact that Bucky and Bella were there.

Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Wanda were better able to take care of themselves on the run than Bella was, or Bucky was currently. Being fugitives out in the world wasn't easy, but it was the best way they could protect their friends.

That had been another surprise to Bella, that she'd been grouped in the category of friend to several Avengers, or _former_ Avengers as they were now. Even Natasha had sent a message or two via Steve's phone; usually telling her about whatever dumb guy thing either Steve or Sam had most recently managed to do. Apparently, even superheroes were not immune from doing dumb shit.

It had still been lonely at first though, in this strange place where she didn't really have anyone.

Even if she'd have wanted to, she couldn't have gone back to Forks. She was technically a wanted criminal now after escaping from the Raft prison, even though she'd never actually been charged with anything.

That and being soulmates with a wanted fugitive, former assassin, and enemy of Hydra could possibly be a bit dangerous for her… or if you listened to Bucky and Steve, _very_ dangerous for her. So she had stayed put in Wakanda, close to her soulmate.

Bella had spent so much time at the lab where they were keeping Bucky, finding some small comfort just being near him, that Shuri had eventually said she might as well have a job there and be useful, and she'd ended up becoming a good friend to Bella, even if she did insist on teasingly calling her a clumsy coloniser at times.

They had even surprised her with a special meal for her twentieth birthday in September.

Wakanda had been a safe haven for her, while she processed everything that had happened. she and learned to move past the last of the wounds in her spirit that the Cullens had left her with. Being there hadn't just been about repairing Bucky in the end, she had started to fux herself too.

Now it was mid-October and at last after more than three months it was done. Shuri was convinced she had removed the trigger and that it was safe to wake Bucky up.

**~*~0~*~**

The room was bright as Bucky cracked his eyes open, the light hurting them for a moment as they adjusted.

There was a moment of panicked confusion, not knowing where he was, but then he slowly eased up. Though this room was unfamiliar it looked nothing like any of Hydra's facilities had. The glass of water on the table next to him and the pile of fresh clothes waiting on a nearby chair reaffirmed that belief.

Pushing himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair before reaching for the glass. Giving it a quick experimental sniff, he mentally shrugged and drank it, the cool water feeling like heaven slipping down his dry throat.

The confusion eased quickly, and the memory of being frozen for the last time came back to him. Considering he'd been asleep for god knows how long, he actually felt pretty good; it was nothing like it used to be when he was waking up as the Soldier, where the first few hours would always feel like he was mentally wading through mud.

Spying a piece of paper on top of the clothes, he slowly got up, stretching his limbs out as he walked, brushing off the strange sensation of no longer having a left arm.

The paper turned out to be a short and to the point note, advising him to make use of the small but functional bathroom the room had attached, and then to head through the door when he was done.

At the mention in the note of someone waiting to see him, Bucky smiled to himself, a flood of memories rushing through him. Memories of Bucharest, of being with his girl… _Bella_.

He wasn't aware of saying her name out loud, but suddenly he was moving, finding a small package waiting for him in the bathroom containing everything he needed to clean himself up.

Anticipation curled in his chest and washed away any apprehension he'd felt on waking. Between a bit of one-handed fumbling he'd quickly gotten dressed in the plain jeans and sleeveless shirt left for him. Finding his own combat boots and belt under the neat pile of clothes, as well as a knotted cloth designed to drape over his metal shoulder.

It hadn't been far to get to the room where she was waiting, and Bucky swallowed nervously, hesitating for just a moment outside the door. He wanted nothing more than to see her, but after all this time what if she didn't feel the same any more.

The Dora Milaje who'd accompanied him smirked at his sudden faltering and quickly opened the door, giving him a light shove through the doorway so that the room's occupants would see him.

"Sergeant Barnes," the girl he remembered as Shuri stepped forward and looked him over, assessing him.

"It's um, Bucky." He corrected a little awkwardly, surprised when she just grinned.

"How are you feeling, Bucky?"

"Pretty good," He answered honestly, though he was still feeling a little wrong-footed by the situation – surely it wasn't just her who was waiting to see him. "Thank you."

Shuri nodded, beaming at him.

"Sergeant Barnes," T'Challa greeted him with a genuine smile, but Bucky didn't bother with the name correction that time. Somehow it seemed a bit disrespectful to correct a king.

Then T'Challa moved to the side and Bucky caught sight of the small figure that had been mostly hidden behind him.

Instantly his mouth went dry and his breath caught. He wasn't sure it was possible, but his memories hadn't done her justice, and she was beautiful… and there, right in front of him… and against all the odds she waited for him, and now there was nothing keeping them apart…

Except him apparently, because he was still standing there just staring at her like a jerk when he could have her pressed against him… and _why_ was he _still_ standing there?

The last rambling thought got him moving again. Three large strides and he was in front of her, and then his face was buried in her hair, his hand running over her as if to check she was real, while she held onto him as if he might disappear.

Eventually, his racing thoughts calmed and he pulled back, not daring to kiss her properly because he knew he wouldn't stop. Instead, he just pressed his lips to her forehead, giving her a brief look full of promise.

He turned back to Shuri and T'Challa, though he kept a tight hold on Bella's hand the whole time.

"We still have a couple of tests to run now you're awake," Shuri told him, still with a bright grin "And my brother will help with the one you insisted on…"

A low growling gurgling sound interrupted her, and Bucky felt the tips of his ears burning slightly as they all looked at him askance.

"Perhaps we should get started _after_ you eat," Shuri suggested with an amused snicker.

Bucky had kept some form of physical contact with Bella the entire time they were all eating some lunch. When it wasn't practical to have his hand holding one of hers he'd lightly hooked his foot around her ankle, pressing their legs together.

Bella had been oddly touched by the slightly possessive gesture, and the soft pleasant buzzing over her skin from being in contact with her soulmate after the time apart was both soothing and electrifying at the same time.

She'd been less than pleased though when she'd found out that the test Bucky has insisted on was being secured in a sealed room and having his former trigger words read out to him while T'Challa stood by in his Black Panther gear just in case.

Fortunately, the test had been fine. Bucky had flinched automatically as the words had started, but had zero reaction after that – something which had lifted a huge weight from his mind, and as scared and angry as Bella had felt about him testing it without warning her, she let it go when she saw just how relieved he'd been that it truly wasn't a concern any more.

He'd still kept his hand or a leg wrapped around Bella whenever possible after that, unable to keep from touching her for very long while even they'd had a relaxed dinner with T'Challa and Shuri. Bucky realising with a rising sense of gratitude just how much they'd helped Bella while his mind was being repaired.

It had still seemed like forever to Bucky until T'Challa had excused himself, and Shuri had just given them both an amused knowing look as Bucky had taken Bella's hand, a look that had Bella blushing as Shuri snickered at her friend.

**~*~0~*~**

They'd walked unhurriedly back to Bella's rooms, at the very edge of the palace proper, rooms that were now Bucky's too. He'd given her an absolutely deadpan sideways look that spoke volumes when she'd fumbled through asking him if he was okay with living with her again, much to Shuri's and even T'Challa's amusement.

The sound of her heart drumming, the blood pounding in her ears, almost drowned out the quiet click of the door closing behind her. She didn't miss the sound of the lock turning, Bucky giving her a small smile as he tested the handle to be sure.

Old habits apparently died hard, Bella thought as she watched Bucky visually sweep the room, clearly making sure the room was safe while looking for possible entry and exit points. She didn't mind though, his habit of securing whatever room they were in had always made her feel safe and protected.

"_Dorogaya_," Bucky murmured softly then, his hand grazing her cheek.

The sound of the Russian, which he had usually only ever slipped into during intimate moments, as well as his intense eyes and his gentle touch, had Bella whimpering quietly before she could stifle it.

Bucky's eyes darkened at the sound, a sinfully sweet smile crossing his face, and before Bella knew it she was flush against his body.

"_Ty vse yeshche moya dorogaya?_ Are you still mine?"

Bella smiled softly at the somewhat familiar question, for once having the perfect answer for him. "_YA tvoya lyubov' moya_. I've always been yours."

She fumbled a little over the words, but the sound of Russian coming from her lips for him made Bucky groan deeply, his hand gripping her hip and his forehead pressed to hers.

"_Zastavit vas zabyt' svoye imya_."

Bella didn't understand what he'd said, but the intent behind it was obvious and she let out another soft whimper as his hand roamed around to her ass, lifting her up slightly so that he could grind filthily against her.

Steadily he walked her backwards until her back hit the breakfast bar of her small kitchen area, and with a crooked grin he wrapped his arm around and lifted her up to sit on the counter. In a matter of seconds Bella's shorts and underwear had hit the floor and Bucky was pushing her to lie back before his head was between her legs, pressing hot wet kisses to each inner thigh.

One of Bella's hands gripped the edge of the counter while the other tangled in his hair, making Bucky smirk against her skin as she unconsciously tried to urge him closer to where she needed him.

Giving in easily, he licked a broad stripe, letting out another deep groan at her taste.

"Mmm… _yebat' ... tak milo_… So sweet."

He chuckled silently at her sharp moan, remembering how much she liked him talking dirty in Russian. Somehow she always knew when he was saying something lewd.

He went to town on her then, sucking and licking, swirling his tongue as he ate her out until she was near screaming, her thighs quivering around his head while her back arched off the countertop she was laid out on.

Finally after she'd flooded his face several times, and she was so sensitive that she tugging at his hair and trying to squirm away, Bucky let up. Wiping his chin and leaning back to give her a wicked grin.

"Don't relax too much, doll, I'm not done with you yet."

Scooping her up with his one arm, Bucky turned and made his way to the small hallway leading off the living area, easily finding the door to the bedroom and nudging it open with his foot.

A large window with gauzy curtains was letting in some ambient light from outside, but Bucky still switched on a lamp beside the large bed he'd deposited Bella on. The soft glow illuminating her lightly tanned but pale skin.

"You're beautiful, _dorogaya_," He murmured looking at her reverently.

"So are you," Bella answered with a blush.

He looked down at himself with a self-deprecating snort, his gaze lingering on his metal shoulder still hidden by the cloth knotted around his neck.

Bella sighed, giving him a look so full of love he would swear he could actually feel it washing over him. "That doesn't take away from who you are Bucky, it never has. Not for me."

Bucky couldn't control the needy sound that bubbled up from his chest, and in an instant he was on her, putting everything he had into a desperate kiss that had them both panting.

The rest of Bella's clothes were slowly peeled off, along with Bucky's, and Bella couldn't stop herself from dropping a light kiss right where the metal met flesh at his shoulder.

Bucky leaned back slightly, fisting his hand into her hair. Her position on his lap with her legs around his waist made it easy for him to drag her to his lips, and kiss her slowly while they rocked against each other.

"I love you."

Bella could feel him forming the words against her lips, bringing a smile to her face and tears to her eyes. She had been dreaming of him being back with her for months and now suddenly it all seemed worth it.

"Make love to me, Bucky," She whispered against him.

"Your wish is my command, ma'am." He grinned, echoing the words he'd said to her months before.

Using his arm to help her lift up enough, she slid down onto him making him let out a porn-worthy moan at the sensation. Bella whimpered at both the sound he made and the feeling of him filling her.

Rocking her hips, she wrapped her arms over his shoulders, her hands buried in his hair while they kissed, their lips pressed together sloppily between pants and gasps for air.

Feeling Bella's legs shaking either side of his hips and knowing he wouldn't last either, Bucky slid his hand down, his thumb rubbing quick circles over her, his eyes almost rolling back in is head when she tightened around him in response.

Torn between wanting to keep touching her, and wanting to pull her down onto him, he reach up and took one of her hands, sliding it down the front of her body, over her breast and down her stomach and pressing it between her thighs, right above where he was sliding in and out of her.

"_Tak blizk_… touch yourself for me, _dorogaya_."

His hand fisted back into her hair again, tilting her head back so he could suck bruising kisses down her neck while her fingers worked herself over as he thrust up into her. His eyes wandered down to where her fingers were moving rapidly and he groaned lewdly.

"Jesus, doll… I could die a happy man watching you do that."

Too caught up in the pleasure, Bella could only let out a wordless cry when he kept his hand in her hair, tugging her down to meet him, his hips jerking upwards.

"Come for me, baby… _moya lyubov'_."

His words washed over her and Bella felt like every muscle in her body seized as colours flashed in front of her eyes, intense bliss spiralling through her. She could feel Bucky stiffen and let out a low cry of her name, thrusting up twice, three times, and then holding her tightly to him, his legs shaking underneath her.

**~*~0~*~**

Several weeks passed and Bucky settled into something resembling a normal life with Bella, which was something he'd never thought he'd get the chance to have.

They had been offered a small holding just outside the city, with some land to grow food and a few animals to care for. The simple lifestyle had been good for Bucky's continued recovery, and for the first time he could remember since before he went to war, he was actually happy.

Bella finally felt like she was where she belonged, her quiet life with Bucky, and her flourishing friendship with Shuri.

Steve had visited for a short while with Natasha, and he had been overjoyed to see his best friend doing so well with his soulmate at his side, and Bella had enjoyed meeting Natasha properly in person, even if she was all kinds of intimidating.

Now though, they were in the city for the day.

Shuri had requested that Bucky come to her lab to test out the new arm she had designed for him. He'd been tempted to politely refuse it at first, but then he'd looked at Bella and thought about being able to hold her in his arms properly again, and being able to protect her if he needed to.

That had made his mind up.

Much to his relief the arm looked very different to his old one. The Vibranium was a dark steel grey, with gold highlighting between the plates. It was a work of art, really. Its function was also far superior to his old arm too. It was lighter and stronger, and the sensors were so good he could almost feel what he was touching.

Shuri had really outdone herself, and he'd told her so while surprising her with a rare but heartfelt hug.

He had left the city with Bella just as the sun was getting lower in the sky, throwing them into sharp relief against the shades of orange and gold, Bella chattering away and lifting his new metal hand up to examine his fingers, completely unaware of their audience.

"You did well," T'Challa told Shuri, as they watched the couple heading home from a large balcony.

"I know I did," Shuri grinned, nudging her brother teasingly. "The broken white boy deserves to be happy, she does too."

"They work well together," T'Challa mused, watching them thoughtfully, "Their broken pieces fit together."

"You should be a poet brother," Shuri laughed at him.

"You're a brat," He told her with an affectionate grin.

"She gives him strength," He commented, his eyes back on the couple in the distance, "That's good; he'll need it if he's ever called to fight again."

"You think he will be?" Shuri questioned curiously.

"People like us are always called to fight eventually," He answered, his tone pensive, "But for now they can have some peace."

In the distance under the orange and gold sky, Bucky turned and swept Bella into a kiss, both hands holding her close.

**~*~fin~*~**

Russian translations:

_Chert ... tak khorosho ... moy ... ty moy_ ~ Fuck... so good... mine... you're mine

_Tak blizko_ ~ So close

_Dorogaya_ ~ Dearest one

_Ty vse yeshche moya dorogaya?_ ~ Are you still mine dearest one?

_YA tvoya lyubov' moya _~ I'm yours, my love

_Zastavit vas zabyt' svoye imya _~ Gonna make you forget your own name

_yebat' ... tak milo_ ~ fuck… so sweet

_Moya lyubov'_ ~ My love

I tried my best with the translations, but if they're terrible then google translate is to blame

I don't have a beta so any mistakes are my own


End file.
